Meeting the Housemate
by Sheankelor
Summary: Harry decided to show Neville, Dean, and Seamus that he had a housemate/partner by inviting them to dinner. Just what happened? Sequel to "The Right Someone".


_AN: This is a sequel to 'The Right Someone'._ _Once again, it is a present for YenGirl - and I thank her for taking the time to edit it. ^-^_

 _Meeting the Housemate_

Severus watched as the first rays of sunlight filtering through the curtains found Harry's nude form, gilding the messy black curls and turning a tanned shoulder golden. He strained his ears to hear the sounds of home, the faint voices down the road and the familiar chirp of birdsong.

This past week he had missed the sounds of their little village. Paris had been nice, but the noises over there were just not home.

Harry scooted closer with a soft sigh, pressing his shoulder into Severus' chest. _'Paris also didn't have this.'_ Waking up next to Harry had become a pleasure he wasn't willing to forgo for long. It was one of the reasons he left the Ministry position for a less certain career. Other reasons were related to the first one; to enjoy his meals with happy green eyes across from him, to hear Harry's plans and watch them come to fruition, to relax and slow down.

Being a freelance brewer allowed Severus a bit of flexibility. He supplied a small Apothecary in the little village they lived in, as well as several neighbouring ones. Hogwarts which was one of his first customers, was one of the few orders that had set in stone delivery dates. The others had a more fluid demand. It was this fluidity that Kingsley Shacklebolt took advantage of. It wasn't often one had the Minister of Magic at their doorstep asking for you to do a job, but it had become a normal occurrence for Severus.

A smile curled his lips as Harry nuzzled closer, and Severus' free hand trailed over his partner's bare skin.

Last night had been wonderful from the moment he spotted Harry at the bar the three other Gryffindors had taken him to. _'I need to thank Ronald for having a list of Neville's bar haunts.'_ It helped that his partner had been standing alone, looking bored to tears. Severus had worked his way towards him through the crowds. It looked as if Harry was looking for him, and the pleasure in those green eyes when they spotted him seemed to prove it. The outfit Harry wore, the dancing that followed, and the comfortable conversation all went a long way to soothing Severus' anger at coming home to an empty house.

Of course, the dance on the bed when they made it home, was the cherry on top for his contentment.

Bending his head, he lightly kissed Harry's lips as the young man's eyes began to open.

§§§

"Severus," Harry finished pouring their morning tea and juice as Severus set the plates on the table, laden with steaming eggs and buttered toast. Onyx coloured eyes lifted to meet his, the 'what' evident in them and the raised eyebrow. Harry felt his insides melt at the lingering warmth from their earlier activities. "Ron and Hermione are coming for dinner tomorrow night, it's our week. Do you think Kingsley will send you back out, or will you be able to be here?"

They sat down to eat while Severus frowned. "You know that Kingsley hardly gives me warning before I go, but I doubt I'll be gone." He sipped his tea, "What do you want me to cook?"

Yes, Harry knew that, but he also knew if Kingsley darkened their doorstep the next couple of days, he wasn't going to let Severus leave that easily this time. Severus hadn't seen the list of orders come in yet, but Harry had stacked the parchments up on his lab table. _'He'll still have time to make something fairly simple.'_

"That chocolate pie, the creamy one they love," Harry grinned around a forkful of egg. He chewed and swallowed before he continued. "But that's not the reason I asked. Neville, Seamus, and Dean don't believe that I have a housemate; that I'm making you up. I was thinking, if you don't object, to invite them as well."

Severus tipped his head to one side, a piece of toast held in mid-air. "You wish those three to eat at our table?"

Harry nodded yes, "While you're sitting there, eating and conversing with us."

"And you think they'll stay?" The toast didn't move.

Harry chuckled, "Ron and Hermione will make sure of it."

"That'll be fine," Severus finished moving his toast closer and taking a bite from the corner. "I can cook a roast and vegetables, leaving you time to get them settled in."

Harry laughed, knowing Severus was planning on hiding in the kitchen until the last minute. He would take over if the orders were going to take a lot of time. "Go ahead. You might want to have a couple of vials of Calming Draught at hand as well. Just in case."

"I'll give them to you before they arrive."

§§§

"Guys, can you come to dinner tomorrow?" Harry caught Ron's silent chuckle and Hermione's eye roll.

Seamus leant across the table, his eyes alight with curiosity. "Your place?" was all he asked.

Harry nodded, doing his best to hide the mischievous look his knew had to be fighting for a place on his face. Ron and Hermione were both doing a good job of hiding their glee. It reminded Harry of their school years.

"Are you going to introduce us to the man you went home with last night?" Neville asked, causing Ron to choke on another chuckle and Hermione to shake her head.

"Yeah, he agreed to help cook."

Ron and Hermione immediately sent hopeful looks towards Harry, so he continued, "He said he would make a chocolate chiffon pie."

The beaming smiles on his best friends' faces made his own lips tilt upward. Severus rarely made dessert, but it was always worth it when he did.

"It's called a one night stand, Harry," Dean settled back in his chair. "I can see you meeting up again if you seemed any way compatible, but having him at your house already? That's a bit too fast."

The trio's expressions caused Dean to give them a suspicious look before pinning Harry with a demanding one. "What do you three know?"

Harry let his innocent expression fade into an easy, inviting grin. "Come tomorrow night – about six-thirty- and find out." With that, he waved bye and headed back into the working area of The Kitchen. Ron and Hermione followed him, leaving their ex-schoolmates on the other side of the take-out counter looking nervous.

§§§

The doorbell sounded like soft chimes echoing throughout the house. Harry dusted a bit of lint off his trousers – not one of the new pairs his three guest had him purchase before going out the earlier that week, but a nice pair from the back of the wardrobe.

A hand wrapped about his wrist, stopping him from leaving the dining room. Turning slightly, he smiled up at Severus before raising an eyebrow inquiringly. Thin fingers carded through his hair in either a futile attempt to flatten it, or messing it up even further, before Severus pulled the younger man close, kissing him quickly but thoroughly. He pressed three vials into Harry's hand. "I'll be in the kitchen."

Harry tucked them into a pocket, ignoring Ron and Hermione's quiet snickers, his eyes following Severus until the kitchen door blocked his view. Yes, clothes were important. Severus' well fitted and immaculate black trousers and pale green shirt proved that. The black vest accented his shoulders and waist, making Harry long to run his hands from one to the other. Instead, he turned back to his best friends.

"He really wants to shock them, then?" Ron glanced towards the closed kitchen door, before shooing Harry towards the front one.

Harry nodded in agreement, shaking the fantasy of slowly striping Severus out of those clothes from his mind.

Hermione, who was setting the table, called out. "Were those Calming Draughts?"

"Yes," Harry called back, "just in case."

Ron stepped in front of Harry, blocking him. "You're not going to give them to them before?"

Shaking his head, Harry grinned. "Nope." He assumed a mock serious expression. "You should never take potions unless you need them."

"You're just getting them back for those three days, aren't you?" Ron stepped out of the way, nudging Harry to continue.

"Of course, Dean and Seamus both had me walk half the length of Diagon Alley without warning. The clothes were nice, and it was fun to buy and wear something new when we went out, but nothing is that nice. Neville at least had us appear right near his tailor's location." He looked over his shoulder at Ron, his hand on the doorknob. "And I can't give him one early without alerting the other two."

Opening the door, Harry greeted the three men waiting, "Welcome, come on in."

Stepping out of the way, he walked towards the parlour, waving them to follow him.

Neville, Dean, and Seamus walked through, looking around. Ron moved to close the door when three girls walked through. "Harry?"

Harry spun around and stared at the girls before shooting a disbelieving look at his invited guests.

Before he could speak, Dean cut in. "We didn't think you'd mind, and they asked to come."

' _You could've called and asked first.'_ Harry swallowed a sigh and glanced at the three's current girlfriends – Hannah, Nicole, and Rose-Marie, though Hannah Abbott was on the verge of being a fiancée and a familiar face. Nicole and Rose-Marie were younger than even Ginny. "Have a seat in the parlour, I'll let Severus know we have more guests."

"And Hermione," Ron called out as he followed the others into the parlour.

Harry waved in acknowledgement. Hermione was the one he wasn't too worried about telling. Entering the dining room, he frowned at Hermione. "They brought dates."

Brown eyes widened before a frown crashed over her face as she pulled out her wand. "And they didn't let you know?"

A flick of the wand had the table enlarged, and another had more chairs tucked underneath.

"No, they didn't," Harry turned towards the kitchen door. "I hope Severus baked enough."

She looked at the door and then back to Harry quickly, "Good luck telling him."

Harry thanked her as he closed the door behind him. He leant against it, watching those graceful hands, the focus and concentration on Severus' face.

Severus looked up from where he was carving the roast. "Harry?"

"Do we have enough for three more?" asked Harry, his eyes wandering over Severus, still wishing to run his hands over that vest covered chest, but he knew better. Severus was holding sharp utensils right now.

Narrowing his eyes, Severus studied the food in their dishes. "If everyone eats light and has a small slice of pie."

Harry's shoulders sagged in relief, and he wanted to kiss Severus for making just a bit extra.

"They brought a guest each, didn't they?" inquired Severus, a small frown creasing his brow.

Harry rolled his eyes and huffed, "Yeah, and they didn't bother to warn me, either."

"Gryffindors," growled Severus. He continued carving the roast, but his slices were thinner. "They'll just have to share the Calming Draughts."

Laughing, Harry picked up a bowl of grilled vegetables only to be barked at.

"Put that down. Go get everyone to the table, then you can come help me bring it in."

"Will do," Harry checked the table – it was now set for ten – as he passed back through. He found Hermione in the parlour with Ron and the others. Keeping a polite expression on his face, he greeted the girls before gesturing for them to follow him. "Severus said it was time to sit at the table."

Hannah glanced about, before resting a worried look on Ron. "He doesn't mean Professor Snape, does he? There has to be more than one person in this world called Severus."

Neville and the others nodded in agreement. Ron just smiled as they filtered into the dining room before making a beeline for his normal chair, reserving the one next to him for Hermione. Severus typically sat across from Hermione and Harry across from him, and he hoped the guests wouldn't change that seating pattern, though he wasn't sure Neville and the others deserved the barrier between them and Snape now.

Harry disappeared into the kitchen while the others were still waiting on Ron's response.

Smiling slightly, Ron tipped his head to one side. "Why not Snape?" His smile broadened as their jaws sagged.

Hermione rested her elbows on the table to look around him as she added. "You honestly didn't think Harry would have a one night stand, did you? Just go home with someone he barely met?"

"I met up with Severus two nights ago, when he came in from his trip, and told him which clubs Neville likes." Ron bit back a laugh at Neville's widening eyes. "It was lucky that I did. I would hate to have faced Harry if I didn't."

"Hold it!" Dean dropped a heavy hand onto the table. "You mean Harry really went home with his invisible housemate? And that is why we were invited to dinner tonight, and why the guy is allowed in the kitchen?"

Seamus shot a frown at the kitchen door. "We're not allowed to cook in there, not even make a pot of tea."

Neville nodded. "I was wondering how special this guy was, or rather what potion or curse he used on Harry to allow him to work in there."

"And that housemate is …" Dean's voice trailed off as the kitchen door opened, revealing Harry and Severus carrying out the bowls and platter.

Hannah's hand flew to her mouth, attempting to cover up the gasp of shock, while Nicole and Rose-Marie didn't bother.

As Harry set the bowl on the table along with the three vials of Calming Draught, Ron noticed that the three males were pale and gasping for breath. Neville's hands were shaking while Dean and Seamus were beginning to sweat.

Ron nudged the vials towards them. "Three draughts, just for you. Unfortunately, you brought dates, so now you must decide who get them."

Hannah quickly snatched one off the table and downed half before giving the other half to Neville. Seamus and Dean followed suit, offering half their vials to their dates.

Dinner progressed from there, the conversation was strained with everyone except Ron, Hermione, Severus, and Harry.

§§§

Harry bent over, searching the bottom shelf of the fridge for the pie. The evening had gone better than he had expected. Severus had only been mildly scathing, the unexpected guests had only felt the slight edge of his tongue along with the expected but not regular guests. Ron and Hermione had fared just fine. Ron had grumbled only slightly about the reduction in serving sizes with Severus egging him on to be more vocal about it. The pie might prove to be the final straw in that battle, it was Ron and Hermione's favourite dessert.

Not seeing said pie, Harry moved to stand up, only to feel someone press against his backside, long fingers grasping his hip and sliding up his back. It took less than a second to identify Severus, so instead of pulling his wand, he pushed back and up into the man's touch.

"It's not in there," Severus murmured next to his ear.

Harry shivered lightly, his eyes closing at the feel of Severus' lips brushing his ear. "I noticed."

He followed the hands as they moved back, not letting them stop touching him. Once he was far enough out, he closed the fridge door and spun about to face his partner. He drew those thin lips to his and kissed them. It was supposed to be a peck, but Severus pulled him in closer and deepened it.

The kiss finally ended when a moan escaped both of them.

"Guests … we've guests waiting on a pie." Harry panted out.

Severus let him go slowly, running his hands over Harry's body, remaining in contact until the last moment. "It's over here."

A flick of his fingers showed a cake plate with the glass dome frosted over sitting on the counter closest to the dining room door. "I'll carry it while you bring the plates."

Harry summoned them from the upper cupboard. "Why was it hidden?"

Severus smirked, "Ronald and Hermione."

Laughing, Harry walked back into the dining room. As Severus served the pie, Harry noticed that Ron and Hermione both received larger pieces than anyone else.

§§§

Dean, Seamus, and Neville leant against the customer side of The Kitchen's take-out counter staring at Harry. Neville was the first to shake his head, his eyes still wide. "Snape? How did that happen, Harry?"

Harry finished packing an order for a customer and passed it over the counter before turning towards the trio. "How?" A grin curved his lips, "We met up at this bar and then went home together."

Dean shook his head, "Not the other night – we saw that. No, how did you become housemates? How did you become … whatever you are?"

"Life partners?" Harry glanced out over the dining room, watching the waiters working. "We met up at this bar."

"Harry!" Seamus snapped.

"No, honestly, we did the first time. Not long after Severus started working for the Ministry and I was still an Auror. We talked, he gave me pointers on catching criminals and I gave him some pointers on talking to inferiors." Harry grinned as he remembered how well that had been received. At least he knew Severus tried a few out, since he mentioned them the next meeting. "We kept meeting up – it became our lunchtime date. From there, we moved into evening dating, and then eventually into other things. When I decided I just didn't want to be an Auror any more, Severus, Ron and Hermione helped me come up with this place – all three are my business partners. I got a house nearby, Severus moved in, and it's been that way ever since."

"How did you keep this out of the papers?" asked Neville.

"Hermione and Kingsley." Harry moved a standard to go order onto the counter as the customer came through the front door. His next statement was directed to the customer. "Everything the same?"

The man nodded and smile as the bag was passed over to him. Harry accepted the exact change and waved him bye.

"Yes, the Minster knows, and yes, he tracks Severus down regularly. That's why Severus was out of the country last week. Kingsley sent him to France." Harry rested his hands near theirs, a genuine smile curling his lips. "But, I do thank you for worrying. I know, I should have told you earlier, but I didn't want you to freak out."

Dean, Seamus and Neville shook their heads as Seamus spoke for them all. "It's okay, Harry. You're right, we would've freaked out, or not believed you until we saw it with our own eyes."

"If it's all the same to you, mate," Dean added, "he can continue staying home during our nights out."

Neville nodded quickly.

Harry laughed and agreed.


End file.
